How do you thank someone who has taken you from garbage cans to porcelain bowls? It isn’t easy, but he’ll try…          

His name is Luke --- Cool Paw Luke.  It was just about 2 years ago when we made his acquaintance. He was doing time in a shelter. No fault of his own. He’d been abandoned by his human folks, living on the streets and pawing through garbage for food. To a pampered pooch, an animal shelter might feel like prison but not to ole Lukey. It was a five star howl-tel!  But then again, he wasn’t expecting any better.          

Even though considered past his prime by adoption standards, the approximately 6-year-old beagle/basset hound mix had a cheeky charm about him nobody could deny. But charm will only get a dog so far. The shelter veterinarian had detected a heart murmur upon examination which would need careful monitoring. Not many folks want to take on a worry like that. So that’s how loveable Luke enrolled in the Big On Beagles (B.O.B) rescue program. 

Luke graduated with honours a while back when his foster parents couldn’t deny his charm either and adopted him. We never thought he’d return for a refresher course. But sometimes, life can serve you a rotten egg now and then. Luke’s parents split up and neither one had the means to care for him any longer. 

He’s two years older now, but just as charming. He loves eating, napping and strolling wherever you stroll. “Any time, Anywhere” is his motto and that’s because he’s got this way of finding the perfect nest no matter where you take him. Luke could find a spot worth curling up on even if he followed you to the moon, but he didn’t have to go that far on June 13^th. On that beautiful day, Lukey followed us to one of the biggest pet events in North America! With just a bat of his eyelashes, he effortlessly drew in the crowds under our bright red tent in the Rescue Me Village. You might say he was our perfect 3-dimensional Thank You card. 

We are just one of many dog rescue groups that owe so much to the hundreds of folks who participate each year in the K9 Rescue Me Walkathon at Woofstock. You make it easy to save the lives of dogs like Luke. 

This year, our little beagle rescue raised over $4,000 through the Walk. No words come close to describing what that means to us. Luke does such a better job at making our point.  It was the end of the day on June 13^th when I took this picture. All the vendors were packing up their wares and all the rescuers with their smiling faces in the Rescue Me Village were doing the same amidst a sea of rescued dogs and their wagging tails. We had just neatly folded up our tent and tucked it back in the bag. To us, it was just a tent in a bag. But to Luke, it was the perfect nest.  

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We may not have reached our dream goal this year, but that's okay. We've got more money for our rescue beagles than we had before. Our homeless howlers will continue to receive the very best care. There is no limit to our love...because of you.

Thank you.